The Travel Agent Association (TAA) yesterday condemned EVA Airways pilots for threatening to go on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday, saying it is immoral and completely ignores the interests of consumers.
The association, which has nearly 4,000 travel agencies as members, issued a statement after the airline’s pilots on Monday secured the right to strike through a vote organized by the Taoyuan Union of Pilots and said they could go on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Passengers would be given 24 hours notice before they proceed with the strike, they said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The Lunar New Year is peak time for overseas travel, the association said, adding that most consumers plan their trip at least two months ahead of time and had completed payments to secure spots in tour groups.
“The pilots are fighting for their benefits at the expense of consumers and travel agencies. They are putting their interests above those of other people,” the association said.
The union should give the public one month’s notice before striking, the association said, adding that this is the way to get what they want from the airline and to minimize the inconvenience caused to travelers.
“The purpose of launching a strike is to cause the employer to suffer losses. If the union announces such a move one month in advance, allowing passengers to avoid traveling during the strike, the airline would surely report a heavy loss on ticket sales as well as an increase in operating costs caused by grounded flights,” the association said.
Many nations have laws requiring workers to give advance notice before they go on strike, particularly those working in the civil aviation industry, the association said.
Aside from allowing consumers the time to make different travel arrangements, the advance notice gives room for three-way negotiation with the government, employees and the employer.
The union estimated that the strike would affect mostly travelers bound for the US, Canada and Europe, as 75 percent of EVA Airways pilots in the union fly long-haul flights.
The airline and the union are to negotiate again today at a meeting presided over by officials from the Taoyuan Department of Labor, but travel agencies said they have already begun to feel the repercussions of a possible strike.
TAA chairman Hsiao Po-jen (蕭博仁) said agencies have been receiving telephone calls since Monday from consumers asking if they can get a full refund on their tour fees.
“Their flights, accommodation, food and transportation in travel destinations have been paid in full. These operators are not going to refund the payments because there is a pilot strike in Taiwan,” Hsiao said.
For package tours to Europe and North America, each person pays about NT$70,000 to NT$150,000 for tour fees, he said, adding that travel agencies could sustain daily financial losses of NT$117,000 per group should the strike proceed.
About 70 to 90 percent of group tours to Europe and North America departing during the holiday have been sold, and those leaving during the two weeks before the holiday have been sold out as well, he said.
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